After finishing the literary behemoth that is Cyteen, I still cannot help but be a little bit confused about certain aspects of the novel. Although Cherryh does her best to explain all of the details of her world, it seems impossible to ever fully grasp everything that happens within Resuene. Although I enjoyed the book, I felt pretty much clueless at the end of 680 pages. One of its most confusing aspects is the fact that the entire civilization is split into two fundamental groups: the azi and the CIT’s. Obviously, there are surface differences, and Cherryh drops hints about these throughout the novel. However, she also intentionally muddles her readers’ understanding about the two groups.
Because Cyteen is so epic, the number of characters within its pages offer up many perspectives on the CIT-azi conflict. The most obvious pairing of CIT and azi is Justin and Grant, who originally act as the perfect dichotomy within the society. Upon their first introduction, Cherryh makes sure to note the most important difference between them: “a replicate citizen was not azi. There were considerable legal differences between young Justin, say, and elegant, red-haired Grant, at the second of tables, so, so close in all respects…born in the same lab, an insignificant day apart” (Cherryh 38). For all of their similarities, the two characters are really not alike at all, simply because of the nurturing differences in their upbringings: “one infant had gone to a father’s arms…the other had gone to a crib where human heartbeat gave way at intervals to a soothing voice, where activity was monitored, crying measured, reactions clocked and timed—then extensive tape and training for three years…” (Cherryh 39). The difference seems to lie, not in their births, but in the all-important tape that pervades every aspect of life on Cyteen. Cherryh never seems to find it important to explain exactly what it is, although she gives numerous examples of what it can do. Although it certainly seems to have biological components such as those that enable a young boy to improve his penmanship, it also seems to work on moods and can even cause death, as in the case of “Final tape” (Cherryh 651). No matter its exact physical components, tape is certainly at the fundamental center of the creation and indoctrination of the azi.
However, azi creation only leads me to ask numerous other questions about them: primarily, are they slaves? They do not seem to have any control over their assignments: Caitlin and Florian could not even choose their own partners or their own jobs. Instead, they are genetically engineered to fit into certain professions. The title of the Abolitionists party also implies that at least some members of the Cyteen society believe that azi can be directly compared to slaves. However, is it possible to make a slave out of something that does not have the same emotions as a human? Are they even human? Constantly, Cherryh reminds her readers that azi and CIT’s are not the same. Grant, in particular, is fond of differentiating between his own logic and the “CIT kind of feeling” that he gets at times (Cherryh 554). Azi do not seem particularly unhappy with their lots; in fact, they seem to enjoy mocking CIT’s for their inability to “[know] what’s right and sane” (Cherryh 429). However, I find my own inability to know what’s right tested by the meager differences between Grant and Justin. Cherryh obviously intends to make this test—there are none of the noticeable changes between the diction of Grant-narrated and Justin-narrated passages that are present in those of young Ari. Instead, their language seems strikingly similar, causing yet another question about how different the azi and CIT’s really are.
If they are fundamentally similar, I cannot help but shirk away from their treatment within Resuene society. The original Caitlin and Florian’s deaths remind me of the K-9 dogs of Starship Troopers that were put to death because the loss of their masters was simply too hard. Abban is also unable to refuse his late master’s orders, even though they brought about his own death. Although the Abolitionists were not presented in the most favorable lights, I found myself often leaning towards their side on the issue of the azi—their status in Resuene seemed to be little more than glorified genetic slavery.